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Superintendent flags rising in‑school suspensions, chronic absenteeism and truancy fines
Summary
Superintendent Janice Epperson told the board that year‑to‑date discipline data shows roughly 30 sixth‑grade incidents assigned to in‑school suspension, growing absenteeism among multiple grades and court referrals for truancy that can carry fines up to $1,500; the board discussed interventions and parental responsibility.
Superintendent Janice Epperson told the Humboldt City School Board that year‑to‑date attendance and discipline reports show concerning rates of in‑school suspension (ISS) and chronic absenteeism, and that the district is referring habitual cases to juvenile court.
"If you'll notice, it's 30 kids," Superintendent Janice Epperson said when pointing to the sixth grade ISS figure. She described that the ISS number represents students assigned to in‑school suspension at some point during the year and that some incidents involve short removals from particular class periods rather than full days.
Epperson warned the board that chronic absenteeism is already high in several grades: seniors and other classes show multiple students with 10 or more absences, a level that can escalate to court referral. She said the district typically holds a parent meeting after five days absent and refers cases to juvenile court at roughly 10 days; in court the judge has assessed fines and is "not playing," the superintendent said, describing a case where a parent faced daily fines for unexcused absences.
Board members and staff discussed root causes, including transportation, parental availability, and chronic lateness (district data mixes full-day absences and tardies into attendance measures used for state accountability). Administrators described local practices such as robocalls to families and efforts to track students who move out of state or stop attending so that graduation cohorts and state reporting are accurate.
The superintendent outlined steps under consideration: expanding restorative practices so students can get short behavioral interventions outside ISS, targeting attendance outreach for families, and piloting student incentives tied to assessment performance. Staff also noted the district has limited statutory exemptions (for example, long‑term medical cases may be handled differently) and emphasized the operational difficulty when cohorts are small and one or two students shift rates materially affect state percentages.
The board asked staff to continue refining interventions and to return with follow‑up recommendations.
